Football knows no age limits, but the truth is that Real Madrid is signing a kid who is only 17 years old (he will be 18 in August). Franco Mastantuono has become one of those young players destined to make their mark on the world of football, and his arrival at a giant club is the first big step in his sporting career.
Franco Mastantuono and his childhood
The young soccer player, born in Azul in August 2007, like almost all kids today, dreamed of being a soccer player, but also a YouTuber… and a tennis player. The truth is that he was quite good at tennis and traveled around Argentina competing in lower categories, but the day came when he had to make a decision, and he opted for the green of the soccer fields. It was not an easy decision, as he was ranked fifth in the country in his category at the age of 11, but the call from River at the age of 11 won him over.
However, tennis has helped him mature mentally. We are talking about an individual sport, and when things get complicated, when you face an opponent of your level or higher, the mental aspect is crucial to solving problems, something that has made him mature in his meteoric rise in the world of soccer.
“Through tennis, I’ve met a lot of people, I’ve traveled alone as a kid with teammates, and traveling around the country competing in a sport where the mental aspect is so important has helped me a lot to grow as a soccer player. Competing, traveling, and playing tournaments made me competitive, and I’m grateful for what I experienced through tennis.”
Youth at Barcelona
It’s only logical: Mastantuono’s early years coincided with the best player on the planet playing for Barcelona, and he was Argentine. The influence of Leo Messi has not only infected children, it has infected a country that lives and breathes soccer as if it were a religion. Proof of this can be found in the videos he uploaded to his YouTube channel (another 21st-century influence), where he can be seen playing soccer in a Barcelona shirt. However, his attempt at becoming an influencer was short-lived, as he only posted a dozen videos on the channel.
Rise and arrival at Real Madrid
Who would have thought that the young boy wearing the Barcelona shirt would end up signing for Real Madrid? The truth is that he stood out from a young age and soon broke all of River’s early records, becoming the youngest player in the club’s history to score a goal, the youngest ever to do so in the Copa Libertadores, and the youngest to score against their eternal rivals, Boca Juniors.
His influence on the game is beyond logic, reminiscent of Lamine Yamal, an unusual talent at such a young age, which has earned him a place at Real Madrid. There were other offers, but the player was clear: he wasn’t going to let the Real Madrid train pass him by. It was to no avail that the current European champions, PSG, took the lead; the white giant has prevailed.
Mastantuono will be a Real Madrid player: although River wants to keep him for the Copa Libertadores, Real Madrid wants him for after the World Cup, and the player is not going to force anything. He wanted to stay in Argentina until January, but he will not do anything to make that happen. Real Madrid should not be kept waiting, they should not be snubbed, and in that sense, the player is clear about what he has to do. He will arrive at Real Madrid on August 15, one day after his 18th birthday.